Yorkshire St. Pauli statement – secure stadium experience?

We at Yorkshire St. Pauli feel compelled to add our own statement to the excellent response from the fan committee, as we know more than most about the potential end results, having lost our own fan culture in the generation since the Taylor Report changed the face of football forever in the UK.

We follow St. Pauli for many reasons, but one of the great joys is the community atmosphere of the matchday experience. That includes standing terraces, fan culture, affordable tickets, being able to enjoy a drink or a smoke, waving flags, jumping up and down and generally enjoying the spirit and community of like-minded people.

Should the ideas within the “Secure Stadium Experience” come to fruition, then we in the UK already know the worst case scenario. All-seater stadia, soulless atmosphere, high ticket prices, no fan culture (because the real fans have been priced out of the game), and megalomaniacs in bright yellow jackets telling you to sit down the minute you start to enjoy yourself. This is why many UK football supporters travel to German games (not just St. Pauli), but the DFB and the DFL are in danger of repeating history.

So here’s a stark warning from a UK-based official FCSP fanclub – we have lost our fan culture in the UK through measures like these; don’t let the authorities take away everything that makes German football vibrant and exciting.